This invention pertains to a safety device for a lower portion of a vertically-closing door, such as a sectional garage door, and more particularly to a device which expands the footprint of the door, thereby spreading the downward force of the door if an individual inadvertently becomes trapped beneath the door as it closes.
With the increasing popularity of garage door opening mechanisms, variously known as garage door operators or garage door openers, has come increasing instances of injury or death of individuals trapped beneath the door as it closes. There are many documented cases where individuals, usually young children, have been severely injured or killed by a garage door when controlled by an automatic garage door operator. In the typical situation, the operating mechanism is activated and a child is trapped by the door in its downward progression. If the door is not provided with a reversing mechanism or if the reversing mechanism does not function properly, and if the door closes against the child's chest, the chest is compressed, pinning the child and preventing air flow. If the door closes across the child's neck or if the child struggles until the door is situated across his neck, strangulation or a fractured neck occurs. With door closing forces typically exceeding 100 pounds near the fully closed position, closing of the door elsewhere on the body induces severe injuries, normally broken bones and internal injuries.
As explained in my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 904,376, filed 09/15/86, and entitled "Safety Mechanism For A Vertical Closure", the emerging hazards of garage doors have lead to many suggested safety features for the doors. In my co-pending patent application, I have disclosed a collapsible segment for the drive train of door operating mechanisms, such as a garage door operator. My safety mechanism is quite accurate and consistant in helping prevent serious injury or death should an individual become trapped beneath the door.
One attendant hazard of an automatically-activated garage door is the downward force exerted by the door as it closes. If all safety devices, such as automatic roll back features, timing mechanisms and release devices, become inoperative for one reason or another, as explained above, as the door nears its fully closed position, door closing forces can exceed 100 pounds. Because the width of the door is quite narrow, normally 11/2 to 21/2 inches, the force is exerted across a relatively small area, and if the door impinges against the neck of a trapped individual, the door can easily compress the neck with resulting injury or death.